The Hamilton Spectator June 3, 2003

Recognition for her environmental work keeps coming Lynda Lukasik's way.

The Hamilton activist won a Canadian Environment Award last night at a well-heeled banquet held at the Art Gallery of Ontario and attended by federal Environment Minister David Anderson.

Lukasik, who writes a weekly column for The Hamilton Spectator, won the gold medal in the environmental health category and will receive a $5,000 prize.

In 1999, she won a $480,000 court order against the City of Hamilton after it was found guilty of allowing toxic leachate into Red Hill Creek from the Rennie Street public works yard.

"It feels pretty good," Lukasik said about her latest award. "It's nice to get recognized for all of that work. It's wonderful and it's a team effort ultimately to help make Hamilton a better place to live."

She plans to give half of her prize to Friends of the Red Hill Valley -- which is fighting construction of an expressway -- and half to Environment Hamilton, which Lukasik helped found with her court award from the city.

Lukasik attended the banquet with a dozen Hamilton activists including Don McLean, chair of the Friends of the Red Hill Valley, and David Eckersley, vice-chair of Citizens Opposed to Paving the Escarpment.